For the Cochrane Handbook, cite as an edited book or online version—list editors, version or edition, year, publisher, and URL/DOI per your style.
Working on a review or thesis and need a clean reference for the Cochrane Handbook? You’re not alone. Editors and reviewers want citations that follow a standard recipe and match the source you used.
This guide shows how to format the Handbook as an online work, a print book, or a chapter in common styles. You get copy-ready lines, rules, and pitfalls to avoid, so your reference list reads tight and consistent.
One note before we start: the Handbook has two common forms today—the live web version (Version 6.5, 2024) and the second print edition (2019). Pick the one you used and keep that choice consistent across your paper.
Citing Cochrane Handbook For Systematic Reviews — Practical Rules
- Match the source: if you used the live web pages, cite the online version with the version number; if you used the Wiley book, cite the 2019 print edition.
- Name the editors: Higgins, Thomas, Chandler, Cumpston, Li, Page, and Welch appear as editors in both forms.
- Call it an edited book for APA, Chicago, MLA, and Harvard; for Vancouver/NLM, keep the “editors” label right after the names.
- Include version or edition: use “Version 6.5 (updated August 2024)” for the web version; use “2nd ed.” for the print book.
- Give the publisher: “Cochrane” for the web version; “John Wiley & Sons” with place “Chichester (UK)” for the print book in Vancouver/Chicago.
- Finish with a locator: a DOI for the Wiley book or the Handbook URL for the web version. Add an access date only if your style wants it.
Cochrane gives preferred wording on its How to cite the Handbook page; the examples below mirror that language in each style. That keeps wording consistent and easy to audit.
What To Cite And What To Include
| What You Are Citing | Core Elements To Include | Sample Skeleton |
|---|---|---|
| Full Handbook (online) | Editors; year; title; version; publisher (Cochrane); URL | Editors (Eds.). (Year). Title (Version). Publisher. URL |
| Full Handbook (print) | Editors; year; title; edition; place; publisher; DOI (if style uses it) | Editors (Eds.). (Year). Title (Edition). Publisher. DOI |
| Single chapter (online) | Chapter authors; year; chapter title; In Editors; book title; version; publisher; URL | Author(s). (Year). Chapter title. In Editors (Eds.), Title (Version). Publisher. URL |
| Single chapter (print) | Chapter authors; year; chapter title; In Editors; book title; edition; pages; place; publisher | Author(s). (Year). Chapter title. In Editors (Eds.), Title (Edition, pp. xx–xx). Place: Publisher |
APA 7 Style: Cochrane Handbook Citations
See APA example for chapter format.
Whole Handbook (Online Version)
Reference: Editors: Higgins, J. P. T., Thomas, J., Chandler, J., Cumpston, M., Li, T., Page, M. J., & Welch, V. A. (Eds.). (2024). Cochrane handbook for systematic reviews of interventions (Version 6.5, updated August 2024). Cochrane. https://www.cochrane.org/handbook
In-text: (Higgins et al., 2024)
Print Edition (2nd Edition, 2019)
Reference: Higgins, J. P. T., Thomas, J., Chandler, J., Cumpston, M., Li, T., Page, M. J., & Welch, V. A. (Eds.). (2019). Cochrane handbook for systematic reviews of interventions (2nd ed.). John Wiley & Sons. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781119536604
In-text: (Higgins et al., 2019)
Single Chapter (Online Or Print)
Reference: Online: Lefebvre, C., Glanville, J., Briscoe, S., Featherstone, R., Littlewood, A., Metzendorf, M.-I., et al. (2024). Searching for and selecting studies. In J. P. T. Higgins, J. Thomas, J. Chandler, M. Cumpston, T. Li, M. J. Page, & V. A. Welch (Eds.), Cochrane handbook for systematic reviews of interventions (Version 6.5, updated August 2024). Cochrane. https://www.cochrane.org/handbook
In-text: (Lefebvre et al., 2024)
Vancouver/NLM Style: Clear Patterns
Whole Handbook (Online)
Higgins JPT, Thomas J, Chandler J, Cumpston M, Li T, Page MJ, Welch VA, editors. Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions. Version 6.5 (updated August 2024). Cochrane; 2024. Available from: https://www.cochrane.org/handbook
Print Edition
Higgins JPT, Thomas J, Chandler J, Cumpston M, Li T, Page MJ, Welch VA, editors. Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions. 2nd ed. Chichester (UK): John Wiley & Sons; 2019. doi:10.1002/9781119536604
Single Chapter
Lefebvre C, Glanville J, Briscoe S, Featherstone R, Littlewood A, Metzendorf M-I, et al. Chapter 4: Searching for and selecting studies. In: Higgins JPT, Thomas J, Chandler J, Cumpston M, Li T, Page MJ, Welch VA, editors. Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions. Version 6.5 (updated August 2024). Cochrane; 2024. Available from: https://www.cochrane.org/handbook
Chicago Notes And Bibliography: What To Write
Bibliography — Whole Handbook (Online)
Higgins, Julian P. T., James Thomas, Jacqueline Chandler, Miranda Cumpston, Tianjing Li, Matthew J. Page, and Vivian A. Welch, eds. Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions. Version 6.5 (updated August 2024). Cochrane, 2024. https://www.cochrane.org/handbook.
Footnote — Single Chapter (Online)
1. Carol Lefebvre et al., “Searching for and Selecting Studies,” in Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions, ed. Julian P. T. Higgins et al., Version 6.5 (updated August 2024) (Cochrane, 2024), https://www.cochrane.org/handbook.
MLA 9 Quick Pattern
Editors: Higgins, Julian P. T., et al., editors. Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions. Version 6.5 (updated Aug. 2024), Cochrane, 2024, www.cochrane.org/handbook.
Harvard Style: Simple Pattern
Higgins, JPT., Thomas, J., Chandler, J., Cumpston, M., Li, T., Page, MJ. and Welch, VA. (eds.) (2024) Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions. Version 6.5 (updated August 2024). Cochrane. Available at: https://www.cochrane.org/handbook (Accessed: 18 September 2025).
Quick Reference Examples By Style
| Style | Whole Handbook | Single Chapter |
|---|---|---|
| APA 7 | Higgins, J. P. T., … Welch, V. A. (Eds.). (2024). Cochrane handbook… (Version 6.5). Cochrane. https://www.cochrane.org/handbook | Lefebvre, C., … Metzendorf, M.-I., et al. (2024). Searching for and selecting studies. In J. P. T. Higgins et al. (Eds.), Cochrane handbook… (Version 6.5). Cochrane. URL |
| Vancouver | Higgins JPT, … Welch VA, editors. Cochrane Handbook… Version 6.5. Cochrane; 2024. Available from: URL | Lefebvre C, … Metzendorf M-I, et al. Chapter 4: Searching for and selecting studies. In: Higgins JPT et al., editors. Cochrane Handbook… Version 6.5. Cochrane; 2024. URL |
| Chicago | Higgins, Julian P. T., et al., eds. Cochrane Handbook… Version 6.5. Cochrane, 2024. URL | Lefebvre, Carol, et al. “Searching for and Selecting Studies.” In Cochrane Handbook…, ed. Julian P. T. Higgins et al., Version 6.5. Cochrane, 2024. URL |
| Harvard | Higgins, JPT. et al. (eds.) (2024) Cochrane Handbook… Version 6.5. Cochrane. Available at: URL | Lefebvre, C. et al. (2024) ‘Searching for and selecting studies’. In: Higgins, JPT. et al. (eds.) Cochrane Handbook… Version 6.5. Cochrane. Available at: URL |
| MLA 9 | Higgins, Julian P. T., et al., editors. Cochrane Handbook… Version 6.5, Cochrane, 2024, URL | Lefebvre, Carol, et al. “Searching for and Selecting Studies.” Cochrane Handbook…, edited by Julian P. T. Higgins et al., Version 6.5, Cochrane, 2024, URL |
In-Text Citations Quick Guide
- APA 7: Whole book — (Higgins et al., 2024); Chapter — (Lefebvre et al., 2024).
- Vancouver/NLM: Cite by number in the order of appearance; one number can cover the whole Handbook; use a new number if you also cite a specific chapter.
- Chicago NB: Use footnotes; give a short note after the first full note for repeats.
- Harvard/MLA: Use author-date or author-page styles; for the Handbook, author-date with editors’ surnames is common in methods papers.
Common Mistakes To Avoid
- Mixing forms: do not blend the online version and the Wiley book in one reference.
- Dropping the version tag for the web source: keep “Version 6.5 (updated August 2024)” in the reference.
- Missing editors: the Handbook is an edited work; list the editors, not “Cochrane Collaboration” as author.
- Wrong place or publisher for Vancouver/Chicago: pair “Chichester (UK)” with “John Wiley & Sons” for the 2019 book.
- Forgetting pages for print chapters when your style asks for them.
Final Checks Before Submission
- Run one style across your file; do not mix APA with Vancouver in one list.
- Match your in-text callouts to the exact item in your references.
- Use a hanging indent and consistent punctuation for the chosen style.
- If your journal wants an access date, add your date for the online version.
- If you cite both the whole Handbook and a chapter, list both items in your references.
Picking The Right Form To Cite
Use the online version when you drew text, figures, or methods from the live Handbook site. That route keeps your reference aligned with the version tag and matches the wording readers can click today. It also fits cases where your paper links to specific sections that carry “last updated” notes.
Use the print book when your notes or quotes came from the Wiley PDF or hard-copy. Many grad programs still list the 2019 edition in their style sheets; if that applies to you, go with the book and add the DOI.
Reference Manager Tips
- Zotero: pick “Book”; add editors; put “Version 6.5 (updated August 2024)” in “Edition” or “Extra”; add the URL for the web form.
- EndNote: use “Edited Book”; list editors; place the version text in “Edition”; add the Handbook URL.
- Mendeley: set “Book” or “Book Section”; tick “Editors”; store the version in “Edition”; include the URL.
When To Add Access Dates
APA and Chicago do not ask for an access date for stable sources; Vancouver often does. If your guide wants one, record the day you last checked the page, e.g., Accessed 18 September 2025.